Metallic fence construction



Aug. 19, 1952 ROCHESTER METALLIC FENCE CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed NOV. 15, 1949 INVENTOR. L eszer L fio chasfer A 7 TORNEYS A 19, 1952' L. L. ROCHESTER 2,607,563

METALLIC FENCE CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 15, 1949 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 INVEN TOR. Aesfer L. fioc/M fcr A TTOQNEY-S' Patented Aug. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to fences of the picket type, and particularly to the construction of the fence pickets, the supporting rails therefor, and the manner of attaching one to the other.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a fence of this type having stamped metallic pickets and supporting rails therefor of strong and novel construction and with said parts secured together in a simple, eflicient and improved manner whereby to enhance the practicability and commercial value of the fence.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel capping means for the picket which may take the form of an individual cap for each picket or a rail-type cap for all of the pickets of a fence.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a fragmentary portion of a fence embodying the invention,

with some of the pickets attached to the rails and with the pickets shown as having individual capping members; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a fence embodying the invention, with the pickets equipped with a rail-type cap; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 i a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, with the parts shown in perspective; Fig. 5 is-an enlarged perspective View of a clamping plate used for clamping a picket and rail together; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a picket with a clamping member in position therein; Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper end portion of a picket with the associated cap member raised therefrom; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 in Fig. '7; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an individual cap member for a picket partially formed and with parts broken away, and Fig. 10 is an edge elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the posts of a fence, 2 the upper and lower rails connecting the posts and 3 the pickets attached to the rails. The rails 2 are stamped, rolled, or otherwise suitably formed from a heavy grade of sheet metal and are U-shape in cross-section with their edges preferably rolled back upon themselves. The bottoms or cross-portions of the channels of these rails are preferably corrugated or formed on their outer sides with longitudinally extending ridges, as shown at 4 in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, to provide a roughened surface aga nst which 2 the pickets 3 are clamped. While the rail ends may be attached in any suitable manner to the posts I, they are shown, in the present instance, as being supported by brackets 5 projecting from the posts and fixed to said brackets by bolts 6.

.The pickets 3 are also stamped from sheet metal, or otherwise suitably formed, and each,

is of channel form, or U-shaped in cross-section, with its legs or opposing side wall portions 1 (Figs. 3 and 7) of shallow form and terminating in angular flanges 8 which project a short distance side edge portion 1 to form an edge channel l8 facing the front side of the picket. The rearwardly facing portions of the flanges 8 seat against the front or corrugated sides of the rails' 2 to which attached and preferably have cross ridges or corrugations which interengage with the rail corrugations to hold the pickets against movements transversely of the rails when clamped thereto. The front side portion 9 of each picket is preferably formed with a central longitudinally extending-ridge l l which is of shallow form and slopes outwardly in both directions toward the respective side edges of the picket so as to give the picket strength and also to give it a pleasing appearance.

The means for holding each picket to a rail comprises a clamping plate l4 (Figs. 3, 5 and 6) that extends crosswise of the picket within its body channel and between the inturned portions of the flanges 8 and the front side 9 of the picket and is provided at each end with a rearwardly projecting flange l5 that projects into the respective edge channel l0 and bears outwardly at its free edge against the bottom of such channel, as best shown in Fig. 3. This clamp may be moved freely. longitudinally of a picket to place it in register with a respective rail 2. A bolt shank l6 projects rearwardly from the plate [4 centrally thereof through a registering opening I! in the web of the rail, and this receives a nut l8 for clamping the plate l4 and its picket to the rail. In this manner, the corrugated edges of each picket may be securely clamped against movement to the corrugated web of the rail.

Each picket is preferably finished at its top end with a cap 20 which in front view may be of any desired configuration. In the present instance, the cap 20 is of U or channel form in cross-section to adapt it to fit over the upper edge portion 3 of a picket. The cap member is formed by bending the side edge portions 2| thereof rearward and the top edge if of slanting or straight form, as in the present instance, is also formed by bending the top edge part 22 rearward. The top I edge flange 22, which is thus formed, has its ends 26, respectively, which are bent at right an les to the tongues and inserted through registering openings 21 in the respective side flanges 2I=of the cap. These spurs may then be bent against thelinner sideof said flanges to prevent withdrawal thereof [fromthe opening." 1 When a'cap member has been fitted over a'picket end in lap ping relation thereto, itis rigidly secured in' positionby bolts; or screws inserted through'registering openings 28 in the respective side edge flanges of the picket and'cap member, or the partsmay be electric welded or secured together in any other suitable manner.

The cap members 29 maybe of any suitable configuration and may have their top edges either slanting crosswise of the picket, rounded, or of any other suitable form; The lower edge of the cap member may also be' of anyfsuitable or desired configuration, and in the presentinstance such edge is shown as of scalloped form,

as". indicated at,3 9 Fig/7, The picket may also have asurfaceridge 31" projecting from its front side, corresponding in' shape to the lower edgeof the cap member and serving-as a stop for limltingthe desiredmovement of the cap mem' ber on the picket, and also as a finish for theed'ge jojthe capmember," The front ridge ll of a picketmay be tapered to astraigh't edge at the upper end of the picket, and in order to adapt the cap member to fit iiu'sh over such end portion of the picket, the irontof the cap member may be formed with acorre'spon'ding tapered front bulge or ridgefas indicated at 32.

In Fig. 2 the cap member for-the pickets is shown as ,of rail iorm and comprisesa'rail' of channel form withjth'space between itslegs narrowedto a width suitable for fitting closely overthe tops of'th'e' pickets 3 and secured thereto ,by screws orbolts 35'. The front leg of the railmay have shallow V bulges 39 which receive tapered upper end portioins o'f the front picket ridgeslli Itis appa'rentthat'l have provided a simple, strong and durable tence' of Y pleasing "appearance, their'a'ils arid pickets ofwhich are formed preferablyby being stamped from sheet metal and with both members of channel" form and "secured together by interengaging clamping parts.

Also that "the pickets may have their top ends finished by cap' members of any suitable configuration which are separate from the body porwherein the coacting surfaces of the picket and tions of the pickets and may comprise either individual cap members attached to the pickets or cap members of rail form extending over and forming a cap for a series of pickets.

I wish it understood that my invention is no limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it iscapable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a fence having a rail and a metallic picket'secured thereto, said picket being of channel ,form in cross-section with its side legs terminating in angular flanges which extend inwardly toward each other and then forwardly in the rail channel short of the web portion thereof, a clamping member extendingcrosswise within the picket channel andhaving legs extending rearwardly into the channels formed by the edge flanges of the picket andengaging the inturned portions of the flanges in opposition to the rail, and means projecting from the clamping member and engaging'with the rail to hold the rail and picket in assembled relation.

2. In a fence construction, metallic rails of channel form with their channels facing rear- 7 rails are corrugated in mating relation to resist longitudinal movements of the picket transversely of the rails.

' LESTER L. ROCHESTER.

REFERENCES orrnn V The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 7,562 Miller Mar. 20, 1877 38,396 King May 5, 1863 1,013,026 Large et al Dec. 26, 1911 1,360,375 Dammann Nov. 30, 1920 2,218,953 Gustafson Oct. 22, 1940 2,218,954 Gustafson Oct. 22, 1940 2,520,313 Harris I Aug. 29, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,254 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1898 

